


We're Going On A Date

by GoosieBoosie



Category: Milo Murphy's Law
Genre: Cavendish is stubborn and dumb, Dakota is smooth, First Kiss, First Time, Getting Together, Idiots in Love, M/M, Murphy's Law, Or at least he thinks he is, date, idiots to lovers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-12
Updated: 2020-08-15
Packaged: 2021-03-04 22:47:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 20,439
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25214161
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GoosieBoosie/pseuds/GoosieBoosie
Summary: Upon going to therapy, Dakota and Cavendish get outside observations that the underlying cause of their arguments come from unresolved feelings for one another. Desperate to prove them wrong, Cavendish agrees to go on a date with Dakota. But could there be something to this after all?
Relationships: Balthazar Cavendish/Vinnie Dakota
Comments: 55
Kudos: 132





	1. Chapter 1

\--------------  
"You realize that's, like, the third one we've been to…" Dakota spoke up. He could literally see the steam coming off of Cavendish. He was not amused.

"None of these so-called therapists have any idea what they're talking about!" Cavendish replied firmly, balling his fists as they swung by his sides.

"Come on, it wasn't that bad.."

"Not that bad?! Were you even paying attention?"

\---  
_“You see what I’m talking about? He doesn’t listen!” Dakota announced, arm outstretched, gesturing at his partner._

_The two were seated on a couch across from the next professional counselor they could find, after dismissing the previous ones. She, Dr. Aeson, was taking notes and waiting patiently as the two of them had their conversation._

_“I listen the proper amount! Perhaps if you had something worth saying...”_

_“And now you’re calling me worthless...” Dakota glared, “My partner, everyone…” He leaned back into the cushion and folded one leg over the other. He felt like they’d had this argument a million times._

_“That is not what I am saying!”_

_“Really? Okay. Then what are you saying? Because what I’m hearing is that what I have to say isn’t important enough...”_

_“I’m saying I get really irritated when you make assumptions. I came here to work on things, but you obviously don’t care.”_

_“Please” Dakota leaned forward, “I care a lot more than you care, Mr. Runaway.”_

_“Oh, here we go again…I have already apologized” Cavendish rubbed his temples, “Ugh, I swear to time itself, sometimes, Dakota, You just make me want to…” He growled, getting in his personal space and made a strangling gesture._

_“Not as much as I do.” Dakota leaned in close and poked at his shoulder._

_“ **Gentlemen.** ” A voice cut in and they immediately looked in her direction., “I think we should just take a step back..Take a deep breath.” Both Dakota and Cavendish mirrored her as she demonstrated._

_The two of them shared a glance, looking at each other with sympathetic eyes. They shared apologies and then faced forward as they were spoken to._

_“I am hearing a lot of hostility…”_

_“Well….I wouldn’t quite call it hostile…” Cavendish said, adjusting his hat._

_“You get very defensive when Dakota here says things you don’t want to hear…”_

_Cavendish side glanced Dakota, “Well, I can see who's the favorite, as per usual”_

_“There is no favorites playing. Dakota, you seem to have similar issues. You get angry, seemingly from feeling underappreciated. Am I right? ”_

_Dakota shrugged and leaned forward, “I mean, yeah. I guess.”_

_Cavendish’s face changed immediately. “But I do appreciate you!” He said and Dakota turned to meet his gaze. “A very lot.” He sighed and placed a hand on his shoulder, “I’m sorry I get so wound up and act so rash… I should say it more..”_

_“That’d be nice…” Dakota admitted, already feeling better. Cavendish was smiling at him, so that helped. They were on a good track, both feeling as though it was a good idea to come here. At least, they had, until they were blindsided by what came next._

_“There seems to be a lot of built up tension between you two..” Dr. Aeson observed._

_Dakota and Cavendish exchanged glances. Dakota shrugged and Cavendish nodded in agreement. Their relationship could be very tense at times. It’s to be expected. He and Dakota were two very different people. While it drove him mad sometimes, he still wouldn’t trade him for the world. That’s the entire reason they were here. He was glad someone was helping them get to the root of things._

_“Ooh, that tension’s been there a while…” Dakota said, “How long you think? Cavendish?”_

_“Oh, definitely years. I can’t even count… When you know someone for so long, you’re bound to get a little tense, I should say…” Cavendish replied._

_“I see..” She wrote something else down on her clipboard before continuing, “So, I guess what I am curious about, and this next question could be a little personal…”_

_“Bring it on. We came here for personal..” Dakota said, giving her the go ahead. Cavendish deferred to his partner’s judgement and they waited for the inquiry._

_“...How long has it been since you’ve been intimate..?”_

_Both of their faces fell. Dakota had to readjust his glasses to keep them from falling down his nose and Cavendish ripped his hand away from Dakota’s person._

_“I-Intimate? You mean, with another person?” Cavendish asked shakily._

_“I highly doubt she meant with yourself…”Dakota commented. Cavendish wasn’t getting the point as usual._

_“I mean to say with each other...It comes to my attention that perhaps your tense moods, which have led to what I can only assume a majority of your arguments, could stem from untapped desires." She turned to Dakota, which immediately alarmed him, "Would you say that lately you've been feeling undesired?"_

_Dakota did a double-take, feeling put on the spot and had a delayed reaction as though the question only finally finished processing in his brain, "What? You mean by him?" He blinked and then used both pointer fingers to gesture at Cavendish beside him, "This guy?? Sitting right next to me??? Cavendish? **Cavendish.** " He shook his hands, "Hoooo. Trust me, lady. That is territory you do not want to enter.” Dakota needed a minute. He had not expected that to come out. Luckily for him, while he was having his moment, Cavendish decided to speak up._

_Cavendish was wildly pointing back and forth between them, far less cool than Dakota had been. “Nonononono….Me and him aren’t...No...Us? No, there is not an us. I mean, of course, there **is** an us, but not that kind of us. No. Tell her, Dakota. Tell her…”_

_“I am still processing..” Dakota said, lifting a hand._

_“Of course, I would not suggest that is the answer to all of your issues, but it is something worth exploring. Tell me, Cavendish, Honestly. Have you ever had any….romantic or sensual thoughts about your partner…?”_

_Cavendish’s eyes went wide and his face as red as Dakota’s tracksuit._

_“Dakota! We are leaving!!” He announced, standing immediately, seizing Dakota’s wrist, who was barely prepared as he was yanked off the chair and towards the exit. He reminded Cavendish that they still had twenty minutes but it fell on deaf ears. He was too eager to get out of the building as quickly as possible.  
_  
\---

Cavendish looked at him expectantly.

Dakota paused, trying to think of a way to soothe his partner. He definitely remembered what was said. He was there. The topic had been something he usually avoided and he should have known it would come out in therapy. Though, he was surprised the same observation had been made about Cavendish. That was a big conversation.

"You shouldn't get so upset. You're the one who said we needed to talk to someone."

"And you agreed." Cavendish injected.

"And I agreed." Dakota confirmed, placing a hand on his chest. "We both knew it might be a little uncomfortable...You can't just throw the towel in because you didn't like what they had to say...It’s a process."

"I'm not!" Cavendish fought. "Of course I expected some discomfort. You and I have been at this for years.."

"I think you're getting yourself too wound up. Take it easy. We knew stuff would be said…" 

Cavendish threw up an arm, "Well, I didn't expect them to say _that!_ Honestly, of all the preposterous things, actual professionals assuming the root of our problems is from some...some…"

"Unresolved desire to rail each other…" Dakota finished for him, sounding much too casual for Cavendish’s preference.

"Dakota!"

Dakota froze and raised his hands in defense. "What? I'm just repeating what they said!"

"That is not what they said." He replied.

Dakota waved a hand. "It's what they meant."

"Well, clearly, they couldnt be more wrong! I mean, just the idea is---" Cavendish struggled to find his words.

"Crazy" Dakota offered with urgency. Somehow, this was more awkward than the session had been. Now that it was out there, he felt pressed to put the topic back in the box. If not for himself, at least for Cavendish.

Cavendish pointed, "Yes! Exactly! It's crazy! To think, out of three counselors, all of them came to the same bizarre conclusion "

"To be fair, one of them was Doofenshmirtz.. I don't think he really counts. He's biased.."

"Biased? How?"

Dakota gritted his teeth, "Trust me, you don't wanna know.." He wouldn’t be elaborating on that. There was no reason Cavendish needed to know about what went on while he was away. The mess he was. How lost he’d been without him. Yikes, and the way he rambled on about how much he missed him to Doofenshmirtz. It was a no-brainer that he was biased. He had inside knowledge. He knew how Dakota actually felt about his partner.

"Ugh, still! The entire reason we went! We should be talking about all our issues!"

"Maybe that is one of our issues." 

"Don't be absurd.."

"I don't know, Cavendish...Do you have any unrealized feelings for me??" Dakota asked teasingly, batting his eyelashes and making a face platter.

Cavendish hesitated but his answer was what could be expected, "Well, obviously not!" His cheeks lightly tinted. He placed a hand on his chest, "I think I would know." He waved him off like the mere suggestion was the silliest thing he’d ever heard.

Dakota stopped walking, letting Cavendish get a little ahead before speaking again.

“Go out with me…Let’s find out.” Dakota said. 

The words immediately got Cavendish to stop in his tracks. He glanced over his shoulder to see Dakota had stopped far before he had, standing there with his hands in his pockets. He waited a moment and then made a full turn to face him. He was certain he must have misheard. “I...beg your pardon?”

Dakota shrugged, “Let’s do it. One date. You and me.” Cavendish seemed to be at a loss for words. He’d definitely caught him off guard. To be honest, Dakota hadn’t been expecting his boldness until it came out of his mouth. Too late to take it back now, and he sort of didn’t want to, anyhow. He was intrigued.

Cavendish’s brow furrowed, looking like he was unsure if he was understanding what Dakota was saying, or perhaps was just confused by it. “...I’m sorry, did you--Are you asking me out..?”

Dakota lifted a hand to scratch his head, “...I think so..?” He was beginning to wonder if it had been the right move or not. Luckily, Dakota had always been pretty good at thinking on his feet. “I mean, why not? You’re so wrapped up in what those people said. Why not prove it? A little research. No, more like a field test! Huh? You like those!”

Cavendish lit up when he seemed to catch up. “Why, Dakota! That’s brilliant! Yes! Yes, of course! We can disprove them all at once!” He raised both fists, full of vigor. “Then, we can get back to our actual issues!”

“Great!” Dakota said, attempting to match his enthusiasm. He supposed he should be a little disappointed that Cavendish wanted so badly to disprove what three different professionals had concluded to, but, eh, it was Cavendish. He knew how he operated by now. They’d been together for so long. This was their dance. Dakota knew there was something there. At least, he felt like he knew… What had stopped him in the past was never being too sure. Imagine if he were merely overanalyzing. Oh, boy.. This was one risk he couldn’t gamble on, especially when there were no more do-overs. 

Still, the idea that he actually had a date, a ‘date’ date, with Cavendish without consequences made him feel giddy inside.

“Yes, Dakota. Let’s go on a ‘date’” Cavendish said, abusing air quotes.

“Okay. But remember, I asked you out. So, I get to choose” Dakota said, poking him lightly with a finger.

“Yes, alright..” Cavendish agreed and folded his hands. “So, shall we go…?”

“What? You mean now?” Dakota raised a brow.

“Yes..?” Cavendish replied with uncertainty.

“We can’t go now…”

“What? Why not?” Cavendish deflated a little.

“Obviously...It’s a date! Dates don’t just happen the second after you make ‘em...There’s planning and all that extra stuff.”

“What extra stuff?”

“You know, extra stuff…” Dakota actually didn’t know what he meant, either, but it bought him time. If they were going to go out, he didn’t want to make it seem like every other day. They spent a lot of time with one another. It had to stand out. And, of course, he couldn’t tell Cavendish any of this because it would spoil the surprise element. “You _have_ been on a date before…” It sounded like both a question and a statement. He saw the defensiveness grow in Cavendish’s features.

“Of course I have!” Cavendish folded his arms. His expression was less intimidating with the flush of embarrassment.

“Oh my god, this is your first one..” The revelation dawned on Dakota.

“It isn’t!”

“It is. It totally is!” Dakota’s face broke out in a smile, accompanied by a few chuckles. Cavendish probably wanted to hit him, but he just could not help messing with him. It was adorable. True, he could have just gotten him flustered by putting him on the spot, but if this really was his first date, Dakota couldn’t help but be pleased it was with him. 

Cavendish rubbed his temples, regretting all of his life choices that brought him to this moment. “Why did I ever agree to this…?” He mumbled to himself.

"I still don't see why we can't just do it now and get it out of the way.."

"Hey, you want it to be authentic, don't you?"

"Yes, I suppose.." Cavendish said reluctantly, tapping the bottom of his chin.

"Authenticity means we wait.."

"How long?" Cavendish resigned.

"I don't know...a week?

"A week?!" Cavendish burst out, giving him an incredulous look, "You're going to forget."

"I'm not going to forget."  
\---


	2. Chapter 2

\-----------------------

"He forgot."

Cavendish was convinced. Dakota hadn't mentioned the incident since. There were plenty of opportunities, too. Over lunch. During work. After work. But, he didn’t. Things had essentially returned to normal, as though the discussion had never even happened. Cavendish didn't want to bring it up and sound eager. 

He wasn't eager.

Well, okay. That wasn't exactly true. He had been a bit excited. No, maybe not excited; Anxious, and only because he wanted to get it out of the way. No other reason. It wasn't as if he were wanting to do this for years or something like that. Certainly not. The idea that the two of them were going to do this, regardless of the circumstances, was still ridiculous. Just like all of those therapy doctors.

If he and Dakota had wanted to be together in that manner, it surely would not have taken this long. That was proof enough.

That was the entire point of this date! Not that it mattered anyway, because Dakota forgot. Cavendish knew he would. Of course, he would. He was Dakota. The only things that man could memorize were animal types and the locations of his favorite restaurants. What did he expect?

He wasn't upset, and even if he was, it would only be because they set up to do something, something that, mind you, was his idea, and he couldn't even keep it in his mind for a blasted week. To make matters worse, he wasn't even here to lecture. He hadn't seen him all day. Okay, perhaps that was an exaggeration. It was only noon. That didn't stop him from pouting, though.

He tried not thinking about it and set his focus elsewhere, on a book he had been meaning to read. However, his enjoyment was eventually interrupted by someone making a heck of a racket outside. Cavendish was simply not in the mood to deal with anyone’s nonsense. He would tell them exactly where to go.

\--

Dakota did show up about an hour later, with some new threads and a new car, of which’s horn he beat on repeatedly. He could have gone upstairs to their living space and properly retrieved Cavendish but this was a lot more fun. Besides, he wanted to see the look on his face. It was going to be great. He left a pause between the honks, giving his partner time to get himself out here but he wasn’t coming. He checked the time on his phone before putting it away and rolling his eyes “What is taking him so long?”

**BEEP**

**BEEBEEP BEEEEEEP**

**BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP**

**BEEEEEEEEE----**

“Would you be so kind as to please stop with that incessant--Cavendish all but shouted as he slammed the door and threw himself against the railing overlooking the parking lot. His glare faltered when his eyes lay on the source but it didn’t go away. “Dakota?!”

“Yeah, its me! Hey, Cavendish! Took you long enough!” Dakota called back, suddenly trying to look very cool beside his new red convertible. He looked up at him and his grin grew, “Aww, did you dress up for me?”

Cavendish briefly looked down at his attire, a little embarrassed. He had. He’d put away his usual green suit for something a tad more casual. Dark trousers and a light green polo with a few horizontal stripes. The hat stayed, though. He had to maintain some level of class. Wait a moment. Wasn’t he supposed to be yelling at him? He cursed the distraction.

He ignored his question and asked one of his own, "What the devil are you doing?!"

Dakota raised a brow and then his arms, "What do you mean what am I doing? What's it look like? Cool clothes. Cool car. Hello?"

Cavendish’s eyes opened a little wider as he looked past him, his gaze landing on the shiny new car he had not noticed before. Dakota was standing right beside the red convertible, his hand on the wheel just slightly away from the horn he had been abusing.

His jaw dropped. “What is that?” At this point, he came down the stairs in a hurry to go meet him. Dakota was grinning again when Cavendish finally approached. Cavendish got a better look at the vehicle and immediately, “Why do you have this car?”

Dakota looked very excited to answer his question. He rubbed the hood fondly. “You like it? I know red’s your favorite! I thought If we’re going to go out, we should do it in style and less in something that smells like space garbage. Kind of a mood killer.”

“You got rid of our van?!” Cavendish asked in disbelief.

“Yeah, but I got this really sweet ride!” 

“Dakota!”

Dakota waved his hands, immediately making him calm down. “Relax. I took it to what they call a Car Swap. We have until the end of the day. Our precious trash-mobile is safe. At least until the date’s over..” 

Cavendish’s bitter mood seemed to melt with the mention of the word ‘date’ He blinked at him a few times, unable to speak for a second or two. He raised a finger, “Wait...You remembered..?”

Dakota paused to look at him curiously and then gave him a knowing smile, “You thought I forgot! So that’s why you’re being so cranky!”

Cavendish balled his fists, “I do not get cranky”

“Yeah, okay…” Dakota laughed over his partner’s protests. “Come on. Get in..” He slid into the driver’s seat and leaned over to unlock Cavendish’s door. He watched him sit down, though he still looked cautious and unsure. He really needed to learn to relax, Dakota thought. He was sure by the end of this, he’d get him to loosen up. Maybe once he saw how cool this car was!

His method to do that probably wasn't the best but he thought it was a good idea to zoom out of the parking lot at top speed. Cavendish had to hold his hat to keep it from flying off. The other was gripping the side of the car for dear life.

When he eventually did slow down, it came in the form of an abrupt halt at a stoplight. He was grinning from ear to ear, readjusting his hold on the steering wheel. Cavendish was the exact opposite. “Whoa. This thing stops on a dime. Check it out! What are the odds we forget the van and keep this thing permanently?!”

“Not very high…” said Cavendish with an unfavorable glance.

“What? You don’t like it?”

“It’s more your driving I have a problem with. Do you even try to obey traffic laws?” Cavendish complained as he attempted to fix his wind ravaged hair.

“Hey. I stopped at the light.”

Cavendish sighed, realizing this was a dying battle. He’d let Dakota have his fun. This was supposed to be a date, after all. He should try to be a little less critical and high strung. Despite the idea that this was only meant as an experiment to dismiss others' observations, Cavendish wasn’t completely opposed to making the most of it. After all, it wouldn’t count if he didn’t put forth some effort, right? He had to. It was a date and he was always claiming to be a proper gentleman, wasn’t he?

Yes. He could do this. It didn’t have to be weird just because it was Dakota. His eyes trailed to the side so he could subtly look him over. It wasn’t as if he didn’t find Dakota...attractive. He had an allure to him, he supposed. That was just a logical observation. He wasn’t confirming what Dr. Aeson or the others had said. He was merely noting that the man was aesthetically pleasing. Someone he wouldn’t mind going out with, all things considered. Despite how exhausting he could be, they did have fun together. 

He folded his hands. The car had begun moving again. He decided he should say something. Something nice. His brows downturned. He suddenly found himself nervous. He didn’t know why. It's not as if he had to say anything. It was completely his decision. Still, he did want to..

He cleared his throat and drummed his fingers, looking around as if he might find the words in the air. Finally, he spoke. “Your outfit…” 

Dakota raised a brow, clearly ready for another one of Cavendish’s complaints, “Yeah? What about it?”

“It’s rather...fetching,” Cavendish said. He was wringing his hands so tightly, they were beginning to go numb. He wondered if he’d said enough, “Um..well done.” He took in a heavy breath and exhaled, pleased with himself. Yes. That was good, he thought.

Dakota blinked, briefly looking downward at his attire, back to the road, and then once again at Cavendish. That had really taken him off guard. “Uhhh...thanks…?” Dakota really wished he had said something more thought-provoking and less uncertain, but it’s just what came out.

“Did I say something wrong?”Cavendish wondered, suddenly alert and ready to rescind his pat on the back.

“No. No…” Dakota said, giving a shrug as he drove, giving Cavendish another quick look. “Just...sounded like a compliment..”

“It _was_ a compliment,” Cavendish confirmed.

“Oh!” Dakota replied, suddenly grinning. He couldn’t believe Cavendish was actually...Was he flirting? No. No. Though, this could be what Cavendish considered flirting. Or, you know, it could just be a compliment. That was very likely. Still, it brought him warmth regardless. “Well, You’re not so bad yourself...even with that hat.”

“I like this hat,” Cavendish said, pulling on the brim as affirmation.

“Yeah, I know you do..” Dakota replied, still smirking.

“So. Where are we headed?” Cavendish said, moving the conversation right along. “I highly doubt you needed an entire week to pick out a new car and dashing outfit…” He raised a brow.

"Well, not a week more like three days between the paperwork and then there's the waiting period and I also had to clean out the van." He made a disgusted face, showing that last part had not been his favorite of the list of tasks.

" _You_ cleaned the van? Alone?" Cavendish basked in utter surprise.

"Yes?" Dakota replied slowly, unclear about why his partner was so interested.

"Why, Dakota, that's so… responsible.." Cavendish commented blissfully, voice turning deeper. He placed a fist under his chin. He was heavily impressed. Dakota had always been more on the lazy side in comparison to Cavendish. So, he was understandably delighted.

"What is that sultry tone? Are you turned on?" Dakota asked, both brows raised. It had him feeling some kind of way. If he knew he'd get that kind of reaction from Cavendish, he might have actually done it in his line of vision. He leaned back, "Ooh, Cavendish...maybe you are into me…" 

"Shut up, Dakota" Cavendish shouted, the moment gone. Now, he just felt embarrassed.

"That's not a nooo…" 

"And you wonder why I never pay you compliments.." Cavendish commented, willing away the blush that was fighting for a permanent residence on his cheeks.

Dakota laughed, getting satisfaction from getting Cavendish so flustered. It was totally worth it. It always was. He was too easy! “Getting back on track, yeah, I got plans, but nothing set in stone…" He grinned, "What about you..?"

"What about me? You were the one saying it was your choice"

"Yeah, I know...but isn't there anything you've ever wanted to do on a date?" He gave him a soft grin, "I mean, come on, there's gotta be something.."

"No. Not really.."

"Come on.."

"I am quite comfortable taking the back seat on this, thank you very much."

"So, what you're saying is I could take you anywhere and you wouldn't object."

"That's right." Cavendish gave a firm nod.

"What if I wanted to go to a rave?"

Cavendish chuckled incredulously, "We're not going to a rave.."

"No, but we could, by that logic.."

"Alright, then. Allow me to rephrase. Anywhere within _reason_ " He told him and folded his arms as Dakota thought this over. "It doesn't really matter where we go, as long as we follow the rules"

Dakota lifted a curious brow, "Rules? There's rules?"

"Yes. You know." Cavendish responded in a manner that suggested his statement was common knowledge.

"This is literally the first I'm hearing of it. No, I don't."

“Its the set of rules everyone must comply with on a first date. Things that need to happen for it to be successful.” Cavendish pulled out his phone and was looking through some information he’d compiled in preparation. He was essentially treating this like a mission, which it kind of was, if you thought about it..

“You are getting way too technical. There’s no manual when it comes to dating. Dating...its just something you do. And any ‘rules’ are more like...guidelines than anything else” He was sure Cavendish was getting all of his source material from movies and books and who knows where else. He snatched Cavendish’s phone to see what he was looking at, but Cavendish yanked it back, just as quickly.

“Yes, but there are certain ways you conduct it in order for it to seem romantic…” Cavendish said, putting his phone back in his pocket.

Dakota had to laugh, “Wait, wait, wait.. Are you saying you want me to take you on some cheesy, cliché date?”

Cavendish glared before turning his attention out the side of the car. He felt as if Dakota wasn’t taking this seriously. He also felt really embarrassed. “I’m _saying_ this shouldn’t feel like every other time we’ve gone out...It has to feel like a proper date if we’re going to do this right..”

Dakota ceased laughing, because he could tell it was getting on Cavendish’s nerves, and as fun as teasing him was, he didn’t want him annoyed at him tonight. Besides, it was really endearing to know Cavendish wanted to put forth effort. Whether that effort was solely for his experiment, he wasn’t sure, but he’d like to think it was something else underneath. Crossed fingers.

“Okay.”

“Okay?”

“Yup. I said okay.”

“Okay then…” Cavendish closed his eyes and straightened up. 

After a minute of silence between them, Dakota spoke again.

"Hey, Cavendish?. Can you hold this for me?" Dakota reached over to him, palm exposed.

"Oh, certainly," Cavendish said, turning and taking his hand without hesitation, expecting to feel something in it. After a second or two of feeling around, his hand ceased movement and he just gave Dakota a look. "This is just your hand…"

"Yeah. I know…" Dakota said, staring ahead as he drove, a smirk slowly creeping up on his features. He knew what he was doing.

"..."

"...Romance." He explained with a small head tilt.

"Oh, great heavens.." Cavendish slapped a palm over his face in disbelief that he'd actually fallen for that. That was very smooth, and he knew it, he was sure Dakota did, too. He wasn’t going to mention it, though. He’d embarrassed himself enough today, and the date had barely started. He wasn’t going to give Dakota the satisfaction.

But, all the same, that didn’t mean he was letting go.


	3. Chapter 3

\-----------------

Dakota hadn’t been idle during the week. He’d actually done some research of his own. He was sneaky about it, so he never caught on. Making his inquiries sound like nothing more than casual conversation. He was pretty good at it. Though, honestly, Cavendish was just very oblivious. It was a blessing at times, however. He’d be very easy to surprise (even if Cavendish wasn’t a man very easily impressed.) Dakota wasn’t worried.

Dakota had wanted to take him on a date for years, so he definitely had ideas backlogged. He knew his partner very well. He also knew that this wasn’t really their first date. Maybe, officially, but Dakota could reflect on all the days they spent together. Times when they weren’t on a mission or official business, even if that did make up a large part of their association... when Cavendish let himself relax and not care so much, they genuinely had fun together. Dakota lived for those moments. Where his heart was concerned, they felt like dates to him. He knew how silly that was, but he could feel the chemistry. There was something there. He just had to wait for him to catch up. Would it be today? Who knows. But Dakota wouldn’t miss the opportunity to show Cavendish a good time. And, hey, if he wanted romantic, well, he was going to get it…

He never quite told him where they were going but they did reach their destination, considering Dakota was pulling into a parking lot. They had held hands the entire way here, which had been a surprise to Dakota, who had been more than sure Cavendish would have pulled away after a few seconds. He checked another tally in the ‘Cavendish Likes Me’ box in his head. It was almost a crime to unlace their fingers, but they needed to get out of the car. He pressed the button to close the collapsible roof and then got out of the car. He swung the keys around a finger as he waited for Cavendish to do the same and then he locked up.

He watched him as he glanced around, trying to discern where they were before looking to Dakota for clarification. He pocketed the keys and then circled over to him. 

“We haven’t been here before…” Cavendish commented in confusion, obviously expecting one of their usual spots.

“Nope!” Dakota replied, using the explanation as a way to slip his hand back into Cavendish’s as he pulled him along. “Okay, so, long story short, I was trying to come up with ideas of where you’d like to go. I feel like we’ve gone almost everywhere in this town. Well, maybe not everywhere...but, anyway, I must’ve passed by this place a million times, but I’ve never gone in!” They walked around the corner of sidewalk to the front of the establishment, “It’s called London Eats.” He heard Cavendish gasp and knew he’d hit the jackpot. "It's like a store and a restaurant." He pulled him along. To his surprise, Cavendish pulled back, so he turned to give him a curious look.

"But I thought you hated British cuisine.."

"Not everything.." Dakota answered with a shrug and a flirtatious gaze. "The English have their charms…"

Cavendish blinked at him a few times, not knowing what to say, it seemed. It was a surprise to Dakota since he would have expected Cavendish, with his high opinion, to agree. Instead, He turned his head away, though he did keep his eyes on Dakota's.

"Laying it on a bit thick.."

"That's the idea.." Dakota returned with a smile before looking away and starting to walk again but he was brought to a halt once again when Cavendish yanked on his hand. "Why you keep pulling on me?"

"Well.." Cavendish said and disentangled their hands. Dakota frowned momentarily but his eyes grew when Cavendish set his fingers on his collar. His grip was firm as he pulled him near. “Hold on a moment…”

 _Already?_ Dakota thought, noting how close Cavendish was standing and the position they were in. He could swear he was about to kiss him. Oh, man. Could you even picture that? Hah. In his dreams, maybe.. 

Still, he wouldn't mind…

"What's going on…? What you doing..?"

"If we're going in there, we should both be looking our best." Cavendish said, as he began to button Dakota's shirt further, enough so he could tie the bowtie he had seemed to have forgotten about.

Dakota glanced down, watching Cavendish's fingers as they worked. He was a bit disheartened by the false alarm, but hey, the closeness was still nice. He tilted his head, "Weren't you just saying I was dashing, or something?"

"There's always room for improvement.." Cavendish replied.

Dakota snorted, "You are literally the worst guy. Is that your idea of a compliment? That’s, like, the opposite.. Room for improvement..."

"Oh, I've already called you attractive, isn't that enough?"

"What? When?" Dakota perked up.

"In the car. I said it." Cavendish reminded him. He knew he had because it had taken so much effort to admit. Not because it wasn’t true, but because saying such things to Dakota made him nervous. It was that teasing nature of his. It got him so flustered! He didn’t know how else to react, so he always ended up getting defensive… He couldn’t understand why. He liked a lot of things about him.

“I don’t remember that..”

“That’s not _my_ fault..”

"I remember you calling my _outfit_ attractive…"

"Well, you're wearing your outfit, aren't you?" Cavendish said and now Dakota was giving him a look and he suddenly regretted everything.

Cavendish quickly finished his bowtie with a tug, making it a bit tighter than necessary because Dakota was getting under his skin.. He nearly forgot he hadn't exactly said that out loud, even if it had been what he meant. Well, there was no harm in him knowing it. It was only a fact. Dakota was attractive.

Dakota coughed and loosened it a bit, making a mental note not to tease Cavendish when his hands were that close to his neck. “Oww…Is this how tight you wear your stuff? No wonder you’re always in a bad mood.”

“I am not.” Cavendish opposed, secretly thankful that Dakota had been too distracted to focus on Cavendish’s thoughts about his appearance. “I’m often in a very cheery mood!”

“Cheery…” Dakota repeated, “Yeah, okay. If that’s what you call it.” 

\--

They finally made their way into the ‘shopstaurant’ as Dakota refused to stop calling it, no matter how many times Cavendish asked him. He seemed to be in a good mood, though, so Dakota considered that a win. Dakota had a mild interest, considering he’d never been to the place before, but Cavendish was like a kid in a candy store. It was really amusing to watch. He was so cute. He called out his name for a smile and when he looked over, he had to snap a photo of him with his phone. Now, _this_ , he would accept calling a cheery Cavendish. He was a little over the top, but Dakota would let him have his moment. This was a good idea, after all. Dakota was happy to watch as he took everything in but before long, he was being pulled away. He was surprised momentarily and relaxed soon enough. They were holding hands again. He wondered if this was just going to be a thing all night. Not that he really minded. He was even willing to listen to Cavendish as he described brief histories of everything in the shop. You would honestly think they were at a museum. Cavendish was so ridiculous…

“Commemoration!” Cavendish said, suddenly pulling him in close enough so he could take a selfie, with a laugh. Dakota barely had a chance to react but he had already been smiling, so it didn’t turn out too bad.

“You know, we’re gonna look like weird tourists if we don’t buy something soon…” Dakota mentioned, though he was relishing this moment. He liked the closeness. What could he say? 

“Oh, yes, of course!” Cavendish said, even more excited to be eating here. He clasped his hands together. “Come. Let us find a seat.” He found a corner table and pulled out Dakota’s chair for him. Dakota raised his brows but took it appreciatively. “You’ll have to forgive me for going a little overboard.” He seated himself.

“Overboard isn’t the word..” Dakota grinned at him, resting his face on a hand.

“Alright, overly excited…” Cavendish said, lifting a laminated menu, already ‘oooh’ing at the choices.

“You homesick, Cavendish?” Dakota asked.

“What? For 2175?” Cavendish answered as he flipped the menu, trailing his finger down as he read the different specials. 

Dakota shook his head, “No, No...I mean kinda. No, I mean, _home_ home” He gestured with his head to their surroundings.

Cavendish looked up briefly “Oh...um, I suppose, occasionally. Though, it hasn’t been my home for quite some time. I’ve spent my entire career away from London, popping back now and again, of course. However, I do appreciate the nostalgia.” 

“You gotta miss it. You know, we've been partners a loooong time, and I never asked, but I always wondered why you chose America. I mean, the time agency has a branch in the UK, right? Things might’ve ended up different...”

“Trust me, it is run by a bunch of self-absorbed idiots…” Cavendish rolled his eyes, seeming to be looking back on a memory with annoyance. There was surely a rant brewing in his mind.

“So, you woulda fit right in--Ow!” Dakota winced as he was slapped over the head with a menu.

They paused their conversation to order their late lunch. Dakota was normally pretty adventurous when it came to food, but he couldn't say Cavendish wasn't wrong in what he said when they first arrived. British food was not his thing. He was mostly doing this for Cavendish. So, he picked the safest thing on the menu. The same could not be said for his partner.

Their order was taken and they were once again alone at their table.

"Things may very well have been different, but, you know, we also would not have met." Cavendish said, continuing on their conversation from before. "You and I would never have become partners.."

"You would have ended up with another Cavendish.." Dakota joked.

"And you would have hijacked another poor fellow's time vehicle…" Cavendish returned.

"Nah, I totally would have gone all the way overseas just to track you down and steal yours specifically.." 

Their server came over and placed a pot of tea between them. Cavendish gave a thankful glance and began preparing himself a cup.

"That's highly improbable.." Cavendish said, placing down the kettle and adding his sugars. "What would ever compel you to travel to London..?"

"I would just know." Dakota replied with splayed fingers.

"You are bizarre, Dakota.." Cavendish took his first sip and it was heavenly. He sighed with pleasure. He was having a nice time here.

Dakota grinned, folding his arms on the table as he leaned forward. "You know, I always thought you felt like our partnership was a burden. Like, you would have preferred someone a little less _me_."

Cavendish dropped his cup to it's saucer. " Not at all. But forget me, I always thought you would have liked someone a little more laid back and less rule-bound…"

"Let's be real, Cavendish. You're not exactly Mr. Rules anymore…" Dakota smirked.

"Touché…" Cavendish replied, taking a sip.

Their food came and Dakota sat up straight. Despite everything, his food actually looked great. There aren’t too many ways you could go wrong with a sandwich. Unless you chose to add fish. No, thank you. He essentially ordered a fancy BLT, extra emphasis on the bacon. Cavendish ordered.. He had no idea. He found it better not to ask, but his curiosity did get the best of him, “What even _is_ that?” Dakota pointed with his sandwich to the corner of his plate.

“Blood pudding” Cavendish replied with enthusiasm, “Would you like to try? It’s been years since I’ve had it.” 

Dakota’s face scrunched up and he stuck out his tongue. “Yeah, no thanks. All yours, pal. Enjoy” He lifted his sandwich, grabbing some condiments to add extra flavor. “You know, I told myself in my head ‘don’t ask’ and what do I do…?”

“Oh, where is your sense of adventure?” Cavendish said, still keeping the offer up. He hovered a good sized bite on his fork in front of his partner’s face.

“I think I mighta left it in the car. The only pudding _I_ eat is chocolate and it comes in a cup..” Dakota pushed Cavendish’s fork away and he pouted but not for too long. He gave a shrug and went on to enjoy his entire plate, savoring each bite. Dakota worked on his sandwich but eventually his eyes eventually landed back on his partner. He slowly started to grin. Once he was close to done, he spoke up. “So….Tell me…”

Cavendish’s brows raised.

“I did good, didn’t I…?” His gaze softened as he reached for his lemonade and took a long sip. “Say iiiit.”

“I was going to.” Cavendish started, pushing his emptied plate to the side.

“Say iiiiit” Dakota repeated.

“Alright! Yes, Yes! Very good, Dakota.” Cavendish reached forward and ruffled his hair. He laughed, ducking his face slightly and Cavendish shook his head in amusement. His expression went soft. His smile was contagious. It was such a silly thing to make him so happy, but that was Dakota. He dragged his hand down the side of his face, stopping right at his sideburn. He was about to pull away but didn’t. He lingered a moment too long and Dakota’s eyes opened and looked at him with curiosity. His gaze didn’t have him nervous this time. It captivated him. Cavendish wondered if his eyes have always been this hypnotic. Some part of him thought he wanted to see them without the shaded coverings. A finger slid under the earpiece.

He stopped himself, breaking the trance. What in the blazes did he think he was doing?! No, no. Now was not the time for that. He wasn’t even sure what _that_ was. 

Well...that isn’t completely true. A few things had crossed his mind, but he chose to immediately forget them. He could only imagine what Dakota would say. Oh, it would be unbearable. Dakota was very perceptive and he hated it. 

"Umm…" Dakota said, his eyes trailing to the side to where Cavendish's hand remained.

Cavendish panicked, so he did the only thing he could think of and put his other hand on the other side of his face. "Ah, yes. Just as I thought! Just look at you." He tilted Dakota's face in each direction, "You've made a mess."

"What? Where?" Dakota went cross-eyed as if it would help him see what Cavendish was talking about. He could not. 

“Yes, Yes. It’s everywhere.” He lied convincingly and reached for the nearest napkin, tossing it at him swiftly.

Dakota’s hands instinctively went up to grab the napkin, “Wow. This is the softest thing that has ever hit me in the face. What is that? Silk?” He wiped his face and then lowered it. He looked down and raised a brow at the pristine white cloth. “There’s nothing on this..”

“Yes there is.” Cavendish affirmed.

Dakota unfolded and opened it up. “No, there’s not.”

“Well, it must have been fully absorbed into the fabric…which is certainly why there’s no trace of whatever was on your face...” Cavendish explained, hands folded, fingers drumming against each other.

“What? Self cleaning napkins…?” Dakota had his doubts. He thought Cavendish was being weird.

“They’re British. They do that…” Cavendish continued, shifting his eyes.

Dakota shrugged, letting him keep his explanation. He finished up what remained of his sandwich and rolled up the cloth before dropping it onto his plate. All things considered, it was pretty tasty. He was satisfied.

He drummed a quick tune on the tabletop with his hands "Well, it’s probably time to go." He began to stand up.

"Already?" Cavendish frowned. Despite everything, he didn't want this to be over already. Sure, Cavendish had a minor panic but they were having such a nice time. Good conversation. He didn't want it to end so quickly.

"I mean, we're done.." Dakota said, gesturing to their plates.

That Cavendish couldn't argue with. He could say that they could order more, but as much as his partner enjoyed food, he didn't think him too eager for the rest of the menu.

He conceded.

"...can we get snacks first?"

Dakota snorted. "As if I'm ever going to say no to snacks"

They left London Eats, but not before he gave Cavendish a few minutes to make sure to pick up a few treats for later. Dakota was sure this would not be their last time coming here. _What have I done?_ He thought jokingly. The smile on Cavendish's face was worth it.

“I’m glad you could reminisce, Cavendish.” Dakota said as they approached the parking lot.

“Oh, yes. It was wonderful. It’s not comparable to going there, of course…” Cavendish said, walking around to the back of their borrowed vehicle.

“Why don’t we…?” Dakota shrugged and Cavendish gave him a confused look, so he went on. “Obviously not _now_...but hey, we’ll have vacation hours eventually. Maybe this time we won’t end up on the wrong plane.”

“I should hope not.” Cavendish said, glaring at the memory. Their vacation, or lack thereof, had been quite the disaster. He could still feel the cold environment. He shuddered mildly. His face relaxed as he looked over at his partner, “You’d really accompany me..? Doesn’t really seem like your scene..” He placed his purchases in the trunk. 

Dakota raised a hand, “Hey, where you go, I go...Might be fun...” He opened the door and then leaned back against the car, “Not tonight, though.” He crossed his arms. “I got other plans…”

“There’s more?” Cavendish blinked, surprised.

“Of course, there’s more.. Did you think this was it..?” Dakota asked with a grin that put Cavendish’s insides in a twist.

“Well, I don’t know…” Cavendish replied awkwardly.

“You really haven’t been on a date before….” He bit his lip as he smiled, reminding himself not to laugh. It really was cute, though. Whether it was true or not. “Come on, handsome, get in the car…” 

“Dakota. What?”

“...” Dakota shut the door with a smirk. 

Cavendish should have been upset with his teasing but he was way too mentally occupied by Dakota complimenting his appearance. He could focus on nothing else.

“Are you being honest-- Cavendish shouted as he ran to the passenger side of the car, “Or are you just saying that for the date? Dakota!”


	4. Chapter 4

\----------------

They had a full day (mostly) to fill with fun and Dakota couldn't be more thrilled about it. Cavendish couldn't hide his excitement very well, either. He was having a good time and Dakota was thoughtful enough to think of things Cavendish might enjoy as well as himself. That was a pleasant surprise. Some of Dakota's choices could be child-like, but Cavendish didn't mind letting the younger side of them get out when it came to having a good time. Cavendish even got the chance to drive the car and getting behind the wheel, he understood why Dakota had gotten it in the first place. Cavendish had always wanted a vehicle like this. Dakota teased him about his initial reaction and Cavendish had to admit he had been a bit too harsh, even if he did stand by some of his comments. (He was not big on car swap) He had loosened up considerably during the course of the day and actually did give out his own suggestions of what they should do. They bickered, of course, like they do, but it was more friendly than their usual arguments. In the end, they always came to a compromise. To be honest, Cavendish was beginning to forget all of this started as an effort to disprove that they would ever have any mutual romantic interest in one another. He was just enjoying himself with his partner. He could not remember the last time he smiled so much. 

“Alright, Dakota. Your choice next..” Cavendish announced from the passenger seat. Dakota was behind the wheel again.

“Sounds like a plan. I know just where to go!” He switched lanes as he got their next destination in mind. He looked very confident.

“Do I get to know this time..?” Cavendish asked, folding his hands across his lap.

Dakota looked over at him, “A fair!”

“A fair?”

“Yeah. There’s one in town. Imagine the timing. Do I know how to organize a date or what?” Dakota was proud of himself.

The word date hit Cavendish in the face. It was as if he hadn't remembered until just now the reason why they were doing this in the first place. He’d gotten so lost in the fun. So lost in Dakota. He bit his lip and looked away. He was losing himself in this. Oh, how silly he felt. He had to remind himself that he had asked for a proper dating experience and Dakota was humoring him. This was a mock date. This was only meant to explore what an actual date with each other would be like. It was all an effort to prove how incompatible they were, so he could rub it in the faces of those therapists how incorrect their assumptions were. But, so far, it wasn’t going the way he’d thought it would. Cavendish had been hoping it would have been more terrible, to be honest...Tonight had been nice. 

He should call it here. That’s what he _should_ do. He couldn’t, though! For one, that would end the date...

Before they covered all bases! Cavendish had a list in his head (and on his phone) and there was certainly more to a date than everything that had transpired so far. After all, this was research, correct? There was more data to be collected, and it had nothing to do with not wanting the date to be over because this was his only opportunity to go out with him without openly admitting his feelings and therefore making their friendship awkward forever… No. He didn’t feel that way for Dakota. That was stupid. He merely felt overly-affectionate friendship. That was all.

The conclusion of the date would prove this. He reclaimed his focus. 

"The date isn't over just yet" Cavendish alerted him with slight annoyance, even if deep down he wholeheartedly agreed with him. 

"What? You haven't fallen for me yet?" Dakota teased, giving him a grin. 

"If that ever happens through the course of the night, you'll be the first to know," Cavendish said with folded arms, doing his best not to stare in those eyes. 

"Somehow I doubt that" Dakota was a bit surprised by the change in atmosphere. He wondered what had suddenly gotten Cavendish so moody again. They were having a good time. Dakota had the worst memory, so he couldn’t even begin to pinpoint if he’d done something wrong. But then again, it didn’t take very much to get on his partner’s nerves. 

Dakota didn’t think on it too much. He’d be fine after they got to their next destination. He knew his partner loved fairs. That would cheer him up in no time.

\--

They arrived downtown where the fair Dakota heard about was taking place. The sky was a bit darker, so it made the lights look that much prettier. Dakota glanced over at Cavendish. Despite his earlier moodiness, even he looked intrigued. He knew they were going to have fun.

“Ah-ah-ah…” Dakota stopped him.

“What?” Cavendish blinked.

Dakota wriggled his fingers in front of him. Cavendish’s gaze lowered with curiosity but he still didn't seem to get it. “It’s date stuff...We gotta”

"Ah. Date. Yes." Cavendish responded, taking Dakota's hand and he gripped it firmly. 

Dakota liked holding his hand. They had been doing this most the day, so he knew he probably didn't need to prompt him, but he wanted to make sure he still wanted to. He was taking a lot of risks tonight. If he didn't think too much, it almost felt like he was actually dating Cavendish. He wished they'd done this sooner. Preferably back when time travel was still a thing. He wouldn't deny it made him nervous to do risky things knowing he couldn't fix it if he messed up too badly. He was slowly coping with it, but it did make him wary. Especially with the way tonight was going. Cavendish was so back and forth, it was hard to read him. He wondered what was going through his head. Dakota's opinion was that Cavendish was probably overthinking this way more than he was, just because that was Cavendish.

Well, it was nothing a little Vinnie Dakota charm couldn't fix…

He paid their admission and pulled him into the fairgrounds. It was even prettier up close. Dakota couldn’t resist taking a few photos. He took shots of the scenery, the food, of course, and Cavendish. He couldn’t resist taking a few selfies with him as well. He wanted to remember everything about today. “Aw, you blinked,” Dakota complained with a laugh, as he looked through his recent photos, his hand still around Cavendish’s waist.

“You never give me proper warning,” Cavendish said back, leaning into Dakota’s touch despite himself. He liked being close to him.

Dakota snorted, “Neither do you..”

Cavendish agreed to a few re-dos to satisfy Dakota before moving along. He pulled him by the hand as Dakota looked over his improved photos. It took Dakota a second to realize Cavendish was holding his hand again. It just felt that natural. It made him smile wide. Dakota took the lead after a while. They did a lot of sightseeing first. Dakota needed to be pried away from a petting zoo, but not before Cavendish promised to get a few pictures. There was a childlike wonder in his eyes. Cavendish secretly thought it was adorable. He was so easy to please.

They stopped for corndogs at a nearby vendor, and like a gentleman, Dakota gave Cavendish the first one.

"More food? We've just eaten.." Cavendish commented.

"There's always room for fair food.” Dakota argued, “Besides, you love corn dogs.."

Cavendish took it, letting his partner win. He wasn't wrong., "Fine. But I'm not getting on anything." He took a bite, admiring its taste for a brief moment before giving Dakota his attention again "I don't want a repeat of last time."

It took Dakota a second to remember. Oh, right. The rollercoaster incident. He tried not to laugh. "That was pretty funny" He practically inhaled his own corndog.

Cavendish blinked at the display, momentarily stunned before returning to the previous topic. "Not to me, it wasn't.." He gave him a sideways glance.

"Oh, right...heheh…" He looked around his surroundings to get a few ideas and then pointed a finger in the air. "Well, rides are out. Fine. That just means we have gaaaames!" He gave a shrug, "You like games. There are tons of those. Come on. I might even win you something.."

Cavendish had his own skepticisms but followed him anyway. He finished his corndog and disposed of the stick in the closest waste bin. ”You know most of these games are rigged. That is how they make their money. They hand out a prize every once in a while just to keep up the illusion.”

“Not all of them..” Dakota assured him as he scanned around the area to see if he could spot a good one. “This way.” The one he chose was a classic. A milk bottle toss. You couldn’t get simpler than that. He’d win him a prize no problem. What was more romantic than that? They stepped up to the booth and Dakota slapped some money on the counter. He smirked back at Cavendish before he got ready to play.

“Stand back,” Dakota warned him. He loosened his tie and undid the top two buttons of his shirt. He then did a few stretches.

“Is someone going to get hurt?” Cavendish asked, wondering if he should prepare. He didn’t have very much faith in this. Though, he wouldn’t stand in the way of his partner’s enthusiasm. He seemed to be getting into it.

“No. So you can see how impressive my arm is!” Dakota wound his arm more times than was necessary. He was ensuring no matter how well those bottles were stacked or weighted or whatever, they would be coming down. 

It did not work out that way.

Dakota threw too hard and the ball bounced back with the same force, launching him into a trash can. “Oof!” The bottles remained stationary. He accepted his defeat and just sunk in his spot until Cavendish came over. He tried to pull himself out of the garbage can, but he was stuck. His mouth shifted to the side when he looked up at Cavendish, who looked very smug.

"Oh, very impressive...I must say, that outcome was rather shocking.." Cavendish said with folded arms, not wasting an opportunity to tease Dakota. He’d been doing the reverse all night after all.

"You know how to suck the fun out of any situation. You know how some people have special talents? That’s yours."” Dakota gestured at him, though, he was unimpressed with himself personally. He really thought that would have worked!

Cavendish gave him a sneer before offering Dakota both of his hands. He took them and let Cavendish pry him out of the trash can, which took a few attempts. He finally got him back on his feet, holding him steady while he got his bearings and then brushed off his shoulders.

“Well, I can’t say I don’t admire the effort.,” Cavendish replied. “Even if I did say…”

Dakota rolled his eyes and mocked him as he talked as-a-matter-of-factly. His long-winded I told you so’s always made his entire body groan. Cavendish found it less than amusing and pressed two fingers to his lips to make him stop. Dakota did, startled into silence, and instead gave Cavendish a look. Cavendish gazed back, forgetting his annoyance after a second or two. For the second time that night, his touch lingered too long on Dakota. It didn’t help matters that his effort to remove his fingers led to sliding them down his mouth slowly.

“Um..” was all Cavendish could manage, his heart racing just a bit. He couldn't pinpoint what it was about touching those soft lips that made him so eternally flustered. Dakota hadn't said anything either. That made the situation worse because it meant he was having thoughts..or he wasn't! Cavendish didn't know. Maybe it was fine. These were date things, right? He suddenly felt very warm.

“Yeah..?” Dakota asked, not really paying attention and took a step toward him. He was too busy getting lost in his eyes. It was okay, he told himself, because it looked like he wasn’t the only one. His better judgment told him not to say anything. He flashed a gentle smile, ready for what came next (even if he had no idea what that was..) Cavendish had set a hand on his neck. That was a good sign…

_I have got to mock him more often..._ Dakota thought, liking where it had led them. He angled his face upward. He could swear Cavendish had gotten even closer. His heart felt as if it might explode. This date may have just become a ‘date’ after all. Dakota was itching at the anticipation, so in an effort to move things along, he lifted his hands slowly and cautiously to Cavendish’s shoulders. Maybe that would show him they were on the same page..

Fate seemed to be against them, however. They were violently reminded that they were at a crowded fair. Screams of joy and laughter brought them back to reality as a group of kids ran between them on their way to a ride in the distance, forcing them to separate. Their eyes widened at the group getting smaller and smaller as they disappeared. Then their eyes were on each other once more. Cavendish has never looked more red. Dakota struggled to recapture the mood from seconds ago. He didn’t know what to say. He hadn’t even known what was happening. He knew what he wanted to be happening and how in favor of it he was, but his words were not working.

Cavendish had lost all nerve once the interruption had gone. His eyes widened once more and he immediately detoured to his previous train of thought. The one that didn't involve being that close to his partner. He brushed himself off and attempted to pretend as nothing had just happened. "Well, now. Come along, Dakota! I'm sure we can find some other game with a higher chance of victory. Yes, yes. Good. Let's be off then!" he raised a hand to the side of his face in efforts to hide himself before he started walking away.

"Cavendish! Wait! I didn't mind!" Dakota yelled when he finally found his voice, chasing after him, “I was totally fine with whatever you were doing.”

\--

The conversation came to a halt once he’d caught up with him. Cavendish stonewalled him.

“I thought we were having a moment!” Dakota said, a little disappointed.

“We were not having a moment.” Cavendish had replied, still not able to look at him in the eyes. He couldn’t believe himself.

They wandered around the fair for a while. Dakota didn’t know what to say for the second time. Cavendish was the most stubborn man he had ever met, he swore. But, what are you gonna do? It’s Cavendish. He wasn’t giving up. The date was still going well, all things considered. He was having fun. He was sure Cavendish was, too, or he would be if he learned to stop being so uptight. He normally could get him to loosen up. Dakota figured it was the reason behind tonight that had him a little out of his head. He always overthought everything. Maybe things would have been different if he’d just told him the truth in the beginning..

Well, they were here now. Dakota was determined to make the most of it. So, he let go of what happened for now. They did eventually find another game. A few actually. And then Dakota found the perfect way to get Cavendish involved. He made it a competition! Cavendish could never resist those. Basically, it was a race to see who could win who a prize. Dakota won either way, so he didn't feel too much pressure. He was just having fun.

Cavendish lost but he did get to choose a tiny consolation prize which he picked begrudgingly. He was a poor sport, but he had to give credit where credit was due. On the bright side, even if it wasn't much, he was able to give something to Dakota.

"Aw, look! It's me themed!" Dakota lifted the tiny keychain shaped like a burrito with sheer admiration. "I'm gonna put it on my keys" he shoved it into his pockets, the cheery expression never leaving his face.

Cavendish couldn’t understand why Dakota would get so excited by such a small charm. It was nothing impressive. Though, he would say it was very him. Still deep in thought, he had a large stuffed animal thrown into his arms and he just barely had time to react. It was a large, fluffy tan bear with a fancy attire Cavendish could appreciate. 

“There you go,” Dakota said.

“Wha? For me…?” 

“I won. Those were the rules.” Dakota reminded him.

“Ah, yes..” Cavendish bit his lip and mumbled under his breath, “Rules..” Part of him was starting to hate that word.

"It's even got a hat, just like you." Dakota went on. He smiled up at him. "You like it? I know you dooo. He’s cute."

“He is,” Cavendish admitted, giving the plush a hug. It was so soft. Cavendish shyly glanced at him, “Thank you..”

“Ah, don’t worry about it..” Dakota replied, “I’m just surprised you took losing so well.”

“I didn’t lose. Technically, I came in second place.”

“We were the only ones playing…That’s two. One--” He pointed at himself and then at Cavendish “--Two”

This fact didn’t seem to matter to Cavendish, who seemed happily content snuggling his prize.“I still partially won..”

“Whatever you say, partner...” Dakota responded with a smile.

\----

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was too long (in comparison with the others). So, I had to split it. x3 I'll be posting the rest soon


	5. Chapter 5

\-------------------

They walked around for a while. Cavendish began getting self-conscious. He was having a good time...but he always had a good time with Dakota. True, there were times he drove him absolutely mad, but he adored the time they spent together. Those weren't dates, though.. They were friendly outings. This was just like one of their friendly outings. Was this really a date? The way he felt told him it was...but he felt in order to call this a proper one, something was missing...He knew he needed to go down the checklist or else anyone could claim this date didn't count. But instead of pulling out his phone, he thought to check with Dakota.

“I feel as if we’ve done everything there is, we have followed all the bylaws of dating… but somehow this feels all too similar to us just...hanging out…”

“Hang on….By-laws? First, they were rules….now they’re bylaws… You make this really weird…” Dakota said.

“...Be that as it may, my point still stands…”

“You haven’t been having fun…?” Dakota worried.

“...Now, I didn’t say that…” Cavendish replied, trying to move onto the point but Dakota spoke again.

“Not enough _romance_ for you..?” Dakota asked, one hand on his side. 

“Well, no, no...Clearly that’s been present...I’ve noticed that bit...It’s just...Oh, I don’t know..” He paced for a second. Dakota watched him go back and forth, “I feel as if there’s something we haven’t done. I can’t quite put my finger on it… Something that completes the experience. It's escaping me. We can’t very well go back and explain that we gave it our all if we’ve forgotten something.”

“You are treating this waaaay too much like a mission...Does it matter? We’re here. Having a good time. Had food. Got neat souvenirs…” He took out his new keychain and twirled it around his finger and gave it a fond glance before returning it to his pocket. “I think that’s covering everything…”

“You have just described every time we have ever hung out…” Cavendish replied

“Not really...I can’t remember too many times we’ve ever held hands…That’s new” Dakota said, looking down at his hand briefly. “We’ve been doing that most the night..”

Cavendish paused, tightening his hold around his stuffed animal. “Y-yes...I suppose..” It wasn’t as if he hadn’t noticed that. He had initiated some of that himself. That was very “But!”

“You’re thinking too hard..” Dakota told him. “If you can’t remember, its probably not that big a deal…”

“Perhaps, you’re right..” Cavendish sighed, ready to accept it. “Oh, but that is really going to bother me…”

Dakota stopped to put some thought into it, still wondering what he could possibly be forgetting. Sure, Dakota wasn’t a complete dating expert, but he knew a lot. Pretty much the only thing that they hadn’t done was--

….

_Oh._

He looked Cavendish over, who seemed still perplexed, though he was close to letting it go. Dakota swallowed, feeling a pang of anxiety but also a hopefulness. He really had no idea how Cavendish was going to react, but here goes...

"I mean, people usually kiss…" Dakota offered with a shrug before folding his hands behind his back. He couldn’t believe he was mentioning it, but he was almost positive they came close earlier. Besides, Cavendish was the one who asked. Their eyes met. There was a moment of silence between them.

"What?" Cavendish blinked. All his thoughts from earlier had come flooding back. He'd blocked them out, even if he knew that they were very essential to what he had compiled as part of the dating experience.

"You know, when you end a date, and you had a good time, a really good time, usually, mutually, both people kiss…" Dakota explained. He paused for a moment and then went on, “With their lips..”

Cavendish rolled his eyes, "I'm well aware of the ritual" His arms were clutched around the stuffed toy Dakota had won him. He petted it absentmindedly. 

Dakota stared awkwardly before running a hand through his curls, "I mean, we don't have to if you don't want to..I’m just talking." He probably shouldn’t have opened his mouth. 

"No, no, I-- It’s part of it! We can’t really go on and call this a proper date, can we? Not if we don’t see it through. Go all the way" He gave a nod, seemingly oblivious to the implications of the words that just came out of his mouth.

Dakota’s face fell in shock briefly but he quickly recovered. Soon after, he mockingly fanned himself and side-eyed his partner “Cavendish…”

Cavendish became red in the face and his eyes widened, just now registering how his words could be taken. A glare set on his face soon enough. “Not like that, you buffoon!” He would have slapped him if his arms weren’t full.

Dakota could have let him squirm but, he decided to go easy on him. He wasn’t trying to scare him away, after all. Besides, he wanted to know if he was actually serious. Was Cavendish actually willing to kiss him…? Knowing Cavendish, he had to go by the book. The set of rules….even if there really weren’t any when it comes to dating. Guidelines for sure, things dates universally had in common, but there wasn’t necessarily a rule system. More like, cliches.. Try telling that to Cavendish, though.

“So, what you’re saying is, we should kiss?”

He watched Cavendish fumble over himself. “What? You mean, right now? Isn’t that something that brings the date to a close…?”

Dakota shrugged, “Kind of. Sometimes, but it doesn’t have to.” He folded his hands behind his back again. "Do you...want to?"

Cavendish swallowed. Was Dakota actually serious about this? He had to give him credit for humoring him. After all, he went on this date to help Cavendish prove his point… But kissing? Wasn't that a bit far? No, he couldn't.. Dakota couldn't actually want that. Cavendish certainly didn't.

Well...He had had thoughts about it earlier. He couldn't deny that.

It wasn't as if the idea was appalling or anything. He was sure Dakota was an amazing kisser. Not that he had any first hand knowledge, mind you, but he just looked and acted like the sort of person who had experience in these matters. But he couldn't very well force him...Then again, he was the one who brought it up. Did Dakota want to? He felt stupid for asking that question, even if it was just in his mind. 

On the other hand, Cavendish did tell him he wanted to cover all areas of dating. It would be breaking rules by not doing so.

Cavendish may have been twisting things to fit his own desires...but in his mind, he justified it. It was for the date. He had to.

"We could try it, right? Just to try it...See...where it goes? Obviously, if there's no spark, there's no spark. " Dakota offered.

"Absolutely. And if there's nothing there, why, there's no saying we couldn't go back to normal. This is all purely speculatory." Cavendish replied enthusiastically. This would be the final step, wouldn't it? Then they could go back to what was. That's what he wanted, wasn't it?

"Completely. I agree 100 percent." Dakota returned, giving him the go-ahead. 

Cavendish nodded a few times but before long, they were both just standing there. They’d both agreed, but neither knew which one of them wanted to make the first move.

“So..” Cavendish hopped on his tiptoes and then back down again.

“So..” Dakota repeated.

“Did you want to-- Or, ah, shall I…?” Cavendish asked not so confidently. 

“I don’t think its something you talk about. I think its something you just do..” Dakota explained and slowly moved a bit closer, though he didn’t sound much more certain than his partner. This date had become far too real, less of a purely research-driven endeavor. Dakota wanted to go out with Cavendish. Legitimately. And he most definitely wanted to kiss him.

“Ah, yes, quite…” He heard Cavendish say, fumbling over his words like the overly nervous man he was. He kept saying things. No doubt he was new at this and stalling. Maybe he wanted this, too.

After deciding that Cavendish was both talking and thinking too much, Dakota took the lead on this. He moved in so there was very little distance between them. He laughed lightly and Cavendish matched with a shy one. "Just once…" He reminded him in hopes that it would ease his nerves. Cavendish lowered the plush he was holding. He barely had a chance to nod when Dakota suddenly pulled him in by his collar and pressed a soft kiss to his lips. Slow and tender. Cavendish didn't pull away or fight him. He reacted as if this were something so natural. He maintained a stillness, almost afraid moving would end the moment. Dakota shuddered with pleasant chills as he pulled away. They were both staring at each other when it was all over. 

"Anything…?" Dakota rasped out.

"N-no…" Cavendish lied quite unconvincingly.

There was a longing in both of their eyes. Dakota was the one who decided to do something about it. He made a noise, followed by “...maybe one more.” He vaguely gave the impression that their single kiss hadn’t been enough of an example, but even if he hadn’t, there was no way Cavendish was going to refuse him. The second his mouth was near, Cavendish was very receptive. His toy forgotten, his hands went to Dakota’s shoulders. His eyes closed and head tilted as he poured all his restrained emotion into this kiss. Dakota held him firmly, forgetting the world for a moment, or rather, replacing it with Cavendish. When the time came, he had to force himself to end it. He could spend an eternity kissing him.

Dakota pulled away, dreamy-eyed. He was almost breathless and there was no hiding it when he spoke. "...That wasn't so bad.." It was an understatement.

“...Not bad at all..” Cavendish gazed at him with a similar stare. He was still lost in the moment, so his perception was off when the ground began trembling beneath his feet. "Why, the world actually feels as though it were moving…"

Dakota would have been inclined to agree with him, if he hadn’t seen the cause coming straight for them. His smile faltered as he glanced over Cavendish’s shoulder. "Nah, I think that's just Milo…" He pointed.

"What?" Cavendish asked, looking to confirm what his partner meant. He screamed in panic.

"Look out!" Dakota reached out for him swiftly and Cavendish jumped at the same time, bracing for a loud crash, their eyes squeezed tight as they held onto one another. The two stayed like that for the next twenty seconds. They blinked when there was no loud thud. They glanced upward to see a large broken beam only inches away from causing severe damage to their physical well being. It was held back only by a tightly bound piece of rope and smiling Milo.

"Oh! Hey, guys!" Milo greeted with a cheerfulness that didn't suit the situation.

"Murphy." Dakota and Cavendish greeted back in unison.

"Fancy meeting you here!" Milo continued.

"Date," Dakota answered simply, gesturing between them with his eyes.

Milo's face briefly turned fond. "Aww, that's nice. Good for you!" His attention then turned to the task at hand and tightened his grip on the rope he was holding.. "Now, you might wanna move out of the way, if you care about preserving any of your internal organs.."

They gave a look of alarm before they quickly rolled and crawled out of the danger’s path.

"That was a close one." Cavendish took a breath, a hand on his chest. He got to his knees and fixed his hat before looking over at Dakota.

"I know what you mean. I'm kind of attached to my internal organs.." Dakota replied, gesturing to his torso briefly.

After assuring Dakota was fine, his attention was back on Milo. "Did you need any help?" Cavendish called out.

"Nah! I got it! Enjoy the rest of your daaaate!" Milo shouted and called for everyone to make a hole as the beam came crashing down. “Oh! And watch your step in the parking lot!” Milo called back to Dakota and Cavendish before he took off in the opposite direction.

Dakota and Cavendish exchanged glances of worry.

“You don’t think....” Dakota began.

\--

“Oh no..” Cavendish said in horror when they arrived in the parking lot, met with destruction. 

“On the bright side, it's not our van.,” Dakota said but wasn’t quite sure that fact softened the blow. He crouched down to pick up the only piece of the car that was not technically their car off the ground that hadn’t been blown up beyond recognition. Dakota waved the broken off mirror and gave Cavendish a look. “Think this is enough for a swap…?” Cavendish’s face fell in his hands and he groaned. “Yeeeeah...Didn’t think so. I guess we’re walking.” He tossed the mirror over his shoulder, in with the rest of the scrap.

This was not the perfect end to their date, he thought. Cavendish was probably mad at him. He was sure by now he was certain that he felt he had his proof. That was what tonight was all about, right? Dakota sighed inwardly. He knew it hadn’t been his fault, but what could he do..?

Before that though, things had been nice. Kissing Cavendish was nice. He’d probably never get to try that again, oh, but that was not a memory he’d be losing any time soon. It felt like he’d wanted to kiss him, too. There clearly was _something_ between them.

He looked over at him and shoved his hands into his pockets without saying anything. He was surprised Cavendish hadn't said anything yet. So, he decided to break the ice somehow.

"So, how long are you gonna be mad?"

"I said it didn't I?" Cavendish said after a time of silence.

"Said what?"

"I said Car Swap was a bad idea.."

"Yes, you did."

"I said it straight from the start.." Cavendish began "Yeah-" Dakota replied as Cavendish went through the usual motions "Didn't I, Dakota?" "Yep-" “Didn't I say it?" "Yes-" " And what did you say?" "I said nothing would happen-" "You said _nothing_ would happen! You were wrong. Now how on earth will we get our van back?"

"It's not like I could have stopped it."

"You could have kept the van."

"What? So, you prefer that our van was the one totaled?" Dakota asked and that seemed to quiet his partner up. He walked around to the front of him. "Okay, for argument's sake, maybe I was wrong. But so were you."

Cavendish's brow furrowed "Me?" He asked indignantly.

"Yeah, you.." Dakota said, taking a step toward him. He folded his arms, "There was something to this after all.. Wasn't there?"

Cavendish's eyes were wide for a moment but his brows narrowed once more and his gaze trailed to the side. "Don't you try and distract me from the subject at hand"

"I can and I will." Dakota dared, taking another step. He gave him a once over. "And honestly, it's really hard to take you serious holding that thing.." Cavendish shoved the large plush behind his back. Dakota then continued "We've had our date…"

"Dakota. Don't you think we have more pressing matters? Our car just combusted." Cavendish said, gesturing behind them.

"Why don't you want to talk about it?" Dakota pressed. 

"I do want to talk about it."

"Not the car. _Us._ "

"Us…?" Cavendish visibly shrunk. He was purposefully avoiding this topic. He knew how he felt about this entire situation and he knew that was precisely why he couldn’t discuss. It was much easier to focus on the car situation. It was a good distraction...and didn’t involve ruining things with his best friend. What was he to do about this…?

"Well, I guess that's the answer then.." Dakota assumed since Cavendish was being silent about this.

"What?" Cavendish was lost. He hadn't even given him his answer yet. 

“I actually gave this a shot…”

“Dakota--” Cavendish tried but Dakota wouldn’t let him interrupt and kept talking. He never let him finish!

"Buuuut if you're not interested, you're not interested….What can you do?" Dakota closed his eyes and shrugged before creating some distance between them again. He acted nonchalant about it as though it were no big deal. He knew how to get under Cavendish's skin and if he really felt the way Dakota thought, this would make him so irritated. "So, I guess we never have to do this again. Go back to whoever, tell them they're loco, and go back to whatever we were doing before."

"Now you just wait a moment. I haven't said a word!" Cavendish snapped.

Dakota held back a smirk. _There it is._.

He spun around to face his partner and raised his brows. “And what word would that be?” Dakota saw him send him a slight glare for the smart response but he was proud of it. He was tired of dancing around this. He knew what he wanted and it was standing right in front of him. “Well? You gonna just keep staring?”

“Why are you like this?”

“Like what?”

“Like this!” He gestured to the whole of him.

Dakota just gave him a strange look and glanced back up at him. “What’d I do? I’m just standing here.” This may have backfired.

“No, you’re doing that thing. “Cavendish said, rolling his eyes. He got tired of holding his hands behind his back and held the plush in front once more.

“What thing?” Dakota said, genuinely confused.

“That thing where you’re being impossibly difficult!” He turned and started walking again.

“Ohh! I’m the difficult one?? Seriously? Is that what you are telling me?” Dakota said, walking after him. “You’re the one who’s difficult.” Cavendish huffed indignantly. “Well, you are!"

“Not nearly as difficult as you are!” Cavendish shouted back.

“Oh. Is that a fact?”

“Yes. It’s a fact.”

“Yeah, okay.” Dakota waved him off.

They proceeded to walk in silence. Each of them was having trouble holding onto the anger the longer it dragged on. Their glares slowly washed away and they kept stealing glances when the other wasn’t looking, up until they eventually caught each other. Cavendish looked downward and Dakota sighed. He glanced up at the dark sky.

“Why do we get like this? I don’t even know what we’re fighting about.” Dakota said with a wave of the hand. 

“I don’t know..” Cavendish frowned.

Dakota sighed. Whatever plans he’d had for getting results from this dating experience, it wasn’t worth the fighting. He didn’t want to talk about it. He couldn’t force him. He very well could have been right, but at this moment, it didn’t matter. “Cavendish. I’m sorry. I don’t wanna fight.”

“No, I’m sorry. I don’t want to fight either.. It's not your fault.” It really wasn’t. Things would have turned out this way regardless if Dakota had made a different decision. Besides, Cavendish deep down knew that wasn’t the reason he was initially upset. Dakota _knew_. He was sure of it. All he could picture was the questioning and endless teases about it. He felt if he never confirmed it, at least he could hang onto the denial a while longer. It wasn’t fair to Dakota though. He shouldn’t get angry with him..

“I just wanted you to have fun,” Dakota replied, scratching the back of his head.

“I _did_ have fun..” Cavendish admitted because it was true. This was the best date he’d ever been on, striking out the end. He’d never deny that. “We always have fun together, don’t we..? Albeit a bit chaotic…”

“We do.” Dakota grinned.

\--

They arrived back at their apartment and stopped at the door. Neither of them made any moves to enter, though Dakota did reach into his pocket to grab the spare keys from his pocket. Cavendish spoke again, causing Dakota to look up.

“This is the part of the date where the kiss is actually supposed to happen, isn’t it…? At the door.”

“Oh…” Dakota began, taken aback by Cavendish’s question all of a sudden. “Yeah, only its a bit more awkward since, y’know, we live with one another...There’s not really that time to reflect..”

“I’d say we’ve had plenty of time..” Cavendish commented, subtly referring to earlier in the night. They had kissed. It had happened. They never actually discussed it, considering the way it had been interrupted but neither of them forgot. 

Dakota’s heart stopped. He suddenly flashed back to earlier. He’d assumed that he just wanted to forget everything and revert to the way things were, but he guessed the date wasn’t over just yet. He decided to take his bait, out of curiosity. “For date’s sake, should we….?”

“---do it again…?” Cavendish finished with an air of shyness.

They both came to agreement with an exchange of gazes. Not a moment later, they were closing the distance, pressed up against one another. They were less restrained compared to before. The kiss was sudden and fierce.. Cavendish had dropped his stuffed animal to hold onto Dakota. His hands framed his face as he pushed him against the door, kissing him desperately. He held on tight as though this may be the last time they ever did this. Cavendish would have to admit he’d been longing for this since that moment earlier in the night. The brief taste had been far too brief for his liking. He wanted him for such a long time..

There was a small nagging in the back of his head telling him to be more of a gentleman. He made a move to stop but it was only long enough for Dakota to get the door open. He had picked up the stuffed toy once more but dropped it by the side of the door when Dakota yanked him inside and began kissing him again. Unexpected, but Cavendish wouldn’t be complaining. His response encouraged Dakota to continue. His arms wrapped around his waist and they moved further into the apartment space, Cavendish closing the door with his foot. 

Not paying very close attention to their surroundings, Dakota tripped on an old fast food bag on his trek backward. He fell and on his way down, in a jerk reaction, he pulled Cavendish with him. 

With a loud thud, Dakota was laid flat with Cavendish on top of him, “Oww…” He groaned, “That was romantic…” He arched upward to pull the trash from underneath him and threw it to the other side of the room. He then relaxed and the fact that Cavendish was laying on him was brought back to his attention. He hadn’t made any move to get up. Dakota blinked at him. He looked...happy? Dakota was so sure he would be annoyed and give him some lecture about cleanliness.

His eyes went wide when Cavendish leaned down and pressed their lips together once more. He hadn’t ruined the mood after all. Dakota began to sit up and pushed into the kiss. He tried not to smile so much but part of him wanted to laugh. He couldn’t help it. If you had told him last week that today would end with him and Cavendish essentially making out, he definitely would have called you crazy. This felt like a dream. Maybe it was. He just hoped it wouldn’t end too soon.

Unfortunately, there was a little thing called oxygen that was very necessary. So, they did part. Dakota pressed his forehead against his and had a breathy chuckle in between pants. His heart was racing, his fingers clinging to the fabric of his partner’s shirt signaling his desire to keep him there.

“What’s…” Cavendish started, taking a short pause to catch his own breath, “...amusing…?”

Against his better judgment, Dakota couldn’t stop himself from teasing a little. “...This is.. _.not_...a goodnight kiss…”

“What... would you…. define it as, then…?” Cavendish asked, already looking at his mouth again. 

“I don’t know…” Dakota replied, deciding in that moment that he’d had more than enough air in his lungs, “but we are finding out..!” 

The distance was gone and Dakota wrestled him around, maneuvering so he was on top and pressed him into the floor, holding both of his wrists. Cavendish went along with it without comment for a few minutes, perfectly content as long Dakota remained near. It was heavenly. There were eventual complaints about the hard floor, however, so they did relocate to the couch. 

Dakota straddled his lap with hands on either side of his face as he kissed him slow and tender. He wanted this to last forever, but he knew it couldn’t. He shouldn’t let it get this far. Part of him had been unsure of why Cavendish was suddenly allowing this to happen, especially considering how he’d been acting earlier. He didn’t want to ruin the moment with words, but he had to know. After one more long showcase of passion, he forced himself to stop. Almost too suddenly.

Dakota had been wanting to be the one to get in the first word but Cavendish beat him to it. “What’s wrong?” To him, Dakota’s sudden abrupt halt had been alarming. “Was it...too much..?” He sat up a bit more and didn’t give his partner time to answer, already coming to his own conclusions, “You’re right, of course, it was…” He caught his breath for the second time that night, “Why, this sort of behavior isn’t suited for two fellows who’ve only been on a single date….Yes, I agree.” He rambled on, but a finger to his lips made him stop talking and he stared at it before his eyes trailed up to meet Dakota’s seemingly unimpressed gaze.

“Relax..” Dakota told him and Cavendish replied that he was relaxed, though it was slightly muffled behind his closed mouth. He took his finger away and proceeded to rub his face with both hands, rubbing his eyes beneath his shades. “Okay…” He rested his palms on his thighs, “I think we need to reel back a second…” He licked his lips, absentmindedly relishing the taste of Cavendish that remained there. He ignored the temptation to go in for more.

“I’m afraid I don’t understand..”

“Why are we doing this..?”

“Whatever do you mean? You were taking part--”

“I know why _I’m_ doing it. Why are _you_?” Dakota asked, leaning forward.

Cavendish couldn’t look away. It was rather hard not to give him full attention, especially when he was sitting in his lap. This was a strange scenario. He’d have preferred that they kept doing what they were doing. He supposed they should have talked about it beforehand, but just earlier, at the door when he suggested they should kiss, Cavendish had really wanted to. He still did. He could understand why it might seem a bit off-character for him. It wasn’t as if he and Dakota randomly made out frequently….or at all. He felt silly.

“W-well….Obviously….because….You know..” Cavendish said.

“I don’t..” Dakota deadpanned. “Because the reason this whole thing started is because you didn’t ….. _you know._ ” 

“That’s not necessarily true…”

“Really? Cause I remember you only agreeing to the whole date thing to prove a point...So, if we’re only doing this ‘hypothetically’. I don’t know if---

Dakota stopped speaking when he felt Cavendish cradle his face.

“I swear to you, it’s not..” He bit his lip and searched his eyes, as if they would help him find the next words to say. He closed his eyes and sighed, hanging his head. "Oh, Dakota…" he looked away, eventually dropping his hands. He stood once he was able to get himself free from their position. He folded his arms. "I have really made a mess of things…"

"Yeah, kinda.." Dakota replied, half-joking, half-serious. 

“It’s not as if I didn’t want this…” Cavendish went on.

Dakota raised a hand, his brows up in exasperation as he called out, “Then why didn’t you just say that?”

“I don’t know!” Cavendish shouted back, shrugging his shoulders violently, “Obviously because I’m some sort of moron! But it’s all your fault. I wouldn’t have gotten here if it weren’t for you!” 

“Wait, wait, wait….how did we get from making out to you blaming me again...How do we even get here?” Dakota moved to his feet. "Why is it so hard for you to say that you like me?"

"It’s not as if you’ve ever said you liked me…” Cavendish looked to the side.

It finally clicked for Dakota. Cavendish had been holding himself back because he thought he didn't like him, too.

“Well, I do..” Dakota told him.

“Do what?”

“Like you..” Dakota said. He reached up and tugged at one of Cavendish's hands, forcing him to unfold his arms.

“No, you don’t..” Cavendish said in disbelief but he immediately retracted the statement and asked "You do?" 

"Of course I do. I mean, we were just doing _that._ I thought it was pretty clear there's something going on here…" Dakota was really surprised that Cavendish could still be so oblivious about how Dakota felt considering how much they’d been kissing. He really had to spell it out for him, didn’t he?

Cavendish found himself blushing. "And that. Did you want to continue doing _that?_ " He asked almost shyly.

Dakota’s brows raised, his eyes asking the same question. The answer was obviously yes, but he was going to make him work for it. "Mm…” He pretended it took a lot of consideration. He slid his undone bowtie through his collar and tossed it to the side. “Maybe. but only if you say it. I wanna hear you say what you haven't been saying for years.." He pointed a friendly finger at him. "Tell me you _like_ me.."

Cavendish shook his head and his grip on his partner's hand tightened, " _Dakota._ I think I _love_ you…"

Dakota's eyes widened. "What did you just say?"

"I-I said I love you.." Cavendish repeated.

"What?" Dakota said, seeming to still be having trouble processing what he just heard. He couldn’t have just said...but he did! 

Cavendish covered his mouth with his free hand. "I don't know! It just sort of slipped out!"

"Slipped out? You just said it twice!" Dakota's expression was difficult to read. It was delirious, happy, confused, surprised, cautious; all wrapped into one. "Are you sure? Like, _sure_ sure?" He wanted to hear him say it again.

"Of course I'm sure! I wouldn’t have said it in the first place if I wasn't. Oh, this is why I wasn't going to say anything. I didn't want to but you forced my hand and now, here we are; awkward. And I’ve upset you.." Cavendish spiraled.

Suddenly, Dakota leaned up and kissed him. It wasn’t much. It was a short smooch that lasted only a few seconds but it was long enough to get Cavendish to stop talking.

“Turn your brain off for five seconds,” Dakota said, tapping the side of his temple. He was grinning, “Who’s upset…? Do I look upset?”

“Well, not...particularly, but-- Cavendish stammered but was halted when two fingers were pressed to his lips, silencing him. His eyes cross focused on them before finding Dakota’s eyes again, waiting in confusion.

Dakota laughed with adoration, “...Cavendish. I love you, too. Always have. I do. Okay? “ He gave him a toothy grin, “Everything about you. It’s dumb. It’s really dumb..” He lowered his head to laugh and it turned into a hug, both arms wrapped around his neck.

Cavendish was in shock, so it took him a moment to remind himself to reciprocate. Dakota loved him back. How could he have not seen it? Was he really so wrapped up in his assumptions that he couldn’t see the affection that Dakota had been throwing his way for so long? Oh, this entire date. He was such an idiot. He held him tighter.

“I’ll tell you what’s dumb…” Cavendish said, resting a chin atop Dakota’s curls, “Me going out with you in efforts to disprove what I already knew, deep down, as fact...As if I needed to prove it to myself rather than any outside party...I’m so bloody stupid.”

“I didn’t say it…” Dakota teased, chuckling again.

Cavendish didn’t lecture him this time. "I was just making excuses. I had to give myself a reason to justify this 'date' I thought never in a million years would you properly want this…Not the way I have..."

Dakota pulled away to look up at him. "Well, you're not the only one making excuses. I'm the one who backed out and called it a field test. I just thought you wouldn't give it a chance.."

"I'm not sure what I would've done, to be honest with you," Cavendish replied. He wanted to say he would have just said yes, but the way he behaved tonight would suggest otherwise. He didn’t blame Dakota for having to trick him into it.

"You are so uptight," Dakota said, slapping his chest.

"I am n--" Cavendish stopped himself when he saw the look on Dakota's all-knowing face, "Alright. Fine. Yes!" He sighed. "You win."

"Mm. Not yet I don't!" Dakota exclaimed and he used a finger to tilt his head to look at him again. 

"What more could you possibly want?" Cavendish frowned at him. He watched as Dakota slowly raised his brows and then it finally clicked. "Oh." He said and then the impact of it hit him and his eyes widened.. "Oh!" 

"Yeah, oh," Dakota replied

Cavendish wouldn't make him wait much longer. He leaned down and they were kissing again. They were a minute in before Cavendish suddenly pulled away with urgency, “Just so we’re clear, This-This is what you meant?”

Dakota rolled his eyes, “Oh my god, yes!” Cavendish gave him a quick nod just shortly before he was yanked towards a smiling Dakota, continuing the kiss that hadn’t needed to be interrupted. Dakota laughed against his mouth and moved backward.

They returned to the couch, Dakota reclaiming his position on top of him. As they kissed and disrobed, Dakota reflected on the events of tonight. It hadn’t been the vision he’d had in his head and probably not what was in Cavendish’s head either, but the way things had transpired was very them. And if it ended like this, well, that was perfect in his book. It was about time, too.

Cavendish smiled at him when he briefly pulled away. It melted Dakota’s heart. Just before he was going to move in again, Cavendish stopped him. He opened his mouth to form a question but stopped when his hands went to his sunglasses. He pulled them off his face slowly. “Absolutely stunning..” Cavendish whispered.

Dakota found himself blushing. He was not used to removing his glasses, nor having someone looking into his eyes so intently. Especially Cavendish. "What're you doin'? Gimme those…" Dakota chuckled, trying to reach for them. Cavendish wrapped his arms around him and kept them behind his back. 

Cavendish smiled, “I believe I haven’t properly been about to see your eyes since the day we met…You can hardly blame my curiosity. Besides, I’ve been thinking about it all night” 

“And?”

“I like what I see… Eyes are windows to the soul, you know..”

So, Cavendish could be smooth when he wanted to be... “Hah, suddenly you’re the romantic one…” Dakota leaned in again, hands on either side of his face. He removed Cavendish’s glasses, just to be fair, even though they never obstructed the beautiful blue he often got lost in.

“And you’re _shy_ …” Cavendish mumbled, just before he found his lips. His fingers brushed through his brown curls. He was slowly becoming addicted to kissing Dakota. He would be happy doing this forever. Heaven knows he's been wanting to do this for some time. In fact, there were a few things he’d desired to do with his partner that he’d been too embarrassed to actively think on..

Until now that was.

He decided to become a little bolder and used his strength to push Dakota to the other side of the couch eagerly, as he made to get rid of the rest of their clothes. Dakota looked surprised at first but he was soon smirking. He'd been having similar thoughts. They spent the remainder of the night memorizing every inch of each other and doing something about that tension they’d talked about last week. You would never know this was the same timid Cavendish from earlier on in their date. Dakota was not complaining. His mouth was too busy doing other things.

The next moments were hot, heavy, and pleasurable. Years to make up for, you know…and waiting that long does not make you short on ideas. 

It was amazing.

But then they fell off the couch.

“That was...an experience…” Cavendish commented in the aftermath. It didn’t take away from the exhilaration of what had just taken place, but it certainly was not the finale he was looking for.

“Yeah...We really need a bed…” Dakota replied.

“...Agreed.” Cavendish said, falling against his chest. They wouldn’t be getting up for a while.

\-----------


	6. Afterward

\----------------------

Dakota returned late in the morning, much to Cavendish’s surprise, with their van. Cavendish met him on the asphalt as he was parking. He couldn’t believe it. He’d assumed they were in for a very rough day. Not only because they had a very late night, but they (Dakota) had also lost their van. It was going to make work quite tough. Apparently, that wasn’t the case, however. He was astounded.

“How did you manage this?” Cavendish asked right away, sliding a hand over the hood.

Dakota leaned out of the open window, “As it turns out, the Murphy family insurance covers way more than you would think. I guess it makes sense with all the damage all over town. Anyway, they covered the damage from last night, so I guess it worked out.” He gave him a grin and looked him over a moment before saying, “Don’t worry. I promise not to trade our car again.” He gestured his head to the passenger seat. “Now, get in. I grabbed bruuuunch” He sing-songed and watched as he circled the van to climb inside. He had just enough time to move the bag from the seat before he opened the door.

Cavendish sat down and closed the door. “You were gone all morning just trying to find a way to retrieve our van…?” He had to admit, he was relieved as well as impressed by Dakota’s initiative. They had fallen asleep together last night, which had been very nice... He had been a bit surprised Dakota had snuck away without waking him. So, when he was gone, he hadn’t been sure what to think.

“We both know you wouldn’t let me hear the end of it until I did…” He opened the paper bag, pulling out a breakfast burrito before tossing the bag into Cavendish’s lap. “And it wasn’t _all_ morning"

“Oh, I’m sure we would have figured something out…” Cavendish said, digging in the bag and pulling out whatever Dakota had bought him this morning. It felt so routine, but he could sense the difference.

“...which means you got mad at me for nothing…" Dakota said, waving his half-eaten burrito at him in reprimand.

"Any chance for forgiveness..?" Cavendish asked with softness. He did feel bad for that, knowing his anger had been largely misplaced. He needed to work on that.

Dakota mulled it over. "...a little." He saw Cavendish leaning over and those blue eyes were killing him. "Hey, what's that face…?"

"What face? I'm not making a face." Cavendish assured, setting the bag to the side and forgetting the food for a moment.

"You _are_ and it's cheating…"

"I am not." Cavendish disagreed but his coy expression betrayed it. He knew exactly what he was doing.

"Playing dirty…" Dakota said before closing the distance, pressing his mouth to his.

When they parted, Cavendish made a face and pressed his hands against Dakota's shoulders, "Ugh, you taste like your brunch…"

"So, delicious?" Dakota smirked.

Cavendish rolled his eyes but Dakota put his hand on his cheek, so he couldn’t help looking at him once again. They were kissing again, despite Cavendish’s empty complaint. Dakota leaned forward more, tilting his head as he deepened the kiss. Cavendish moved as close as possible in the awkward car space. He steadied himself with one hand on Dakota’s headrest, the other on the side of his neck. Oh, this was nice. Cavendish could definitely get used to it. He wondered how he’d ever gone so long without kissing Dakota. He hummed pleasurably into his mouth before tapping his shoulder to signal they should probably stop. Dakota reluctantly pulled away.

“That’s enough of that..”

“You started it..” Dakota replied.

“We have work.” Cavendish reminded him, almost hating to be the responsible man he was right now. But they did have duties.

“I was working…” Dakota said.

Cavendish raised a brow with interest, “On what?”

“Guess we’ll find out later…” He gave his signature grin before getting back to his food. 

Cavendish sat beside him, just blinking in surprise. He was so trapped by his thoughts, the buzz of his phone startled him and he squeaked. “Oh. My phone. Yes.” He laughed nervously as he dug it out of his pockets. The screen lit up and Cavendish did his best to look less like a man who was having less than pure thoughts about his partner. Dakota leaned over, mid-chew and waited for their boss to start talking. He gave them his usual greeting.

Cavendish gave a sharp grin as they were given their daily (undesirable) assignment. He was replying with far more enthusiasm than per usual. Dakota was embarrassed for him. He did not do well under pressure, even make-believe pressure. 

“You seem different today, Cavendish. Is there something you wish to report?” 

Most days Cavendish could never get Mr. Block’s attention long enough to get him to hear things he actually wanted to report and now that he had something he definitely didn’t want to discuss, he had it. Cavendish felt he truly was cursed.

“What? Me? No no no. Nothing. Nothing. Not today. Certainly not since last night. Definitely no news here. Just looking forward to a good day's work!” 

Feeling he was being helpful, Dakota leaned over into the camera’s view with a finger raised,“There’s nothing weird about us!” He took over the transmission, snatching the phone away from Cavendish, who kept trying to get it back. He kept waving him away with his hands. Dakota continued to yes him to death until they ended the call. After that, he actually allowed Cavendish to rip the phone out of his hand.

\--

"' _There's nothing weird about us'_? Really?" Cavendish said, unimpressed, holding the device away from him. 

"What? You were the one blowing it. Acting like we just killed a guy or somethin’. I was throwing off the suspicion.." Dakota started the car and backed out of the parking lot.

"More like throwing it on…We don't even know if this is allowed. We’re partners. Are partners allowed to be...partners?" Cavendish was usually so thorough in his scrutiny of the rulebooks he was given. He must have thoroughly memorized the entire B.O.T.T. handbook dozens of times and did his best to do the same with P.I.G. despite how unexciting he found the work. But in his study, he never even thought to look through any prohibitions where dating was concerned. It's not like he ever thought he’d get a different partner than Dakota, and he certainly doubted the two of them would have gotten... _involved._

"Oh come on, it’s not a big deal. So, we’re going out. Big whoop.” Dakota shrugged. “He's gonna find out eventually...That guy is everywhere. it's creepy. Never trust someone who smiles all the time."

"You smile constantly.." Cavendish mentioned.

"Yeah, but not like a creepy weirdo…"

Cavendish groaned, “Oh, let’s just go…”

\-----

"But what if we get split up? Reassigned?" Cavendish continued the conversation, even though at least an hour had passed and they were well into their duties. Though, with how routine their work could be, Cavendish had far too much time to think.

"Are you still on this?” Dakota asked, pulling down his headphones before a new song had the chance to start. “I don't think they care enough to make an effort. We'll be fine." He felt like he could hear Cavendish anxiety about to explode. He let out a sigh. "Cavendish…Can you let yourself enjoy this for more than five minutes? Is that a thing you can do?""

"I know, I know.. Don't get wound up.." He remembered and took a deep breath, like they'd briefly practiced in therapy, and exhaled.

"Better?" Dakota asked after the fact.

"A bit.." Cavendish said but he was folding his arms, so he wasn't completely relaxed. "I just don't want to get separated. Imagine that. Now that we've finally worked all this out, we get pulled apart. Just like everything in my life, once things start going right, they start going wrong.."

"You know, you need to learn to be a little more like Murphy." Dakota told him.

"Milo?" Cavendish questioned.

"Think about it. That kid's life is a walking, talking disaster, but he doesn't let him get him down. He just accepts bad stuff's gonna happen and finds a way out of it." Dakota explained, dropping the bag and walking up to him slowly.

"But--"

"If it happens, and it won’t, that’s what we do!" Dakota gave him a wide grin and offered him his hand. He laughed, “Like I’d let anything happen to us…” 

"You are that confident..?" Cavendish gave him a cautious look but reached out his hand regardless. Dakota took it.

“Yup.” Dakota replied without hesitation, giving his palm a squeeze. “ Come on, like we haven’t gotten ourselves into worse messes… ” He saw Cavendish wiggle his head, eventually agreeing with him, more or less. Time to get him in a better mood, Dakota decided. So, he grabbed him suddenly, making him drop his trash grabber in the process.

“What _are_ you doing?!” Cavendish asked, a bit startled. Dakota had placed him in a dipping position and gave him a smirk. Cavendish’s initial annoyance melted as Dakota gave him what he would now be referring to as ‘the look’. 

“Breaking regulations, apparently..” He leaned down, giving Cavendish the option to push him away, but he didn’t. So, he kissed him.

“Dakota..” Cavendish was laughing as he pulled his mouth slightly out of reach. “This is highly unprofessional…” 

It was very hard to take Cavendish seriously when he was grinning like that. It made mush of Dakota’s heart, “Who’s gonna snitch? The trash? That can over there…?” He bit his lower lip.

“I’d rather do this at a time when we smell less like rubbish,” Cavendish admitted.

“Aah, but you _do_ want to!” Dakota beamed.

“Can I stand, please?” Dakota let him back up and Cavendish brushed himself off. “Honestly, as if that was in question..”

“Especially after last night...Me-ow.” Dakota pretended to purr, making a claw gesture with his hand.

“Please don’t do that…” Cavendish asked, though it was hard to hide the fact that what they’d done the night before was still fresh on his mind. He bent and picked up his discarded trash tool. 

Dakota snorted, “Love ya, too, pal…” He grabbed his own picker and got back to work. Two pieces of trash later, his expression shifted. “Hey, Cavendish!” He called over his shoulder ” Should we have names? We should have names!”

Cavendish gave him a strange look. He was about to tell him to be quiet and get back to work but he was genuinely curious about what he meant., “Names? We already have names…”

“No, you know, like pet names. That is totally a thing we should do.”

“What? Like, using each other’s first names?”

“Nah, not like that…” Dakota dismissed the suggestion.

“What? You don’t like my name…?” Cavendish was about to take offense.

“No, it's not so much that.” Dakota said, waving a hand as his face scrunched up and explained, “I literally cannot say it.”

“What is complicated about Balthazar?”

“Balth...Bath...Balzar. Ball Lasers. I don't know.” Dakota attempted to at least try, but yeah, that didn’t work out. 

“I hate you..” Cavendish deadpanned before moving to pick up more garbage surrounding their feet.

“I told you I couldn’t say it…” Dakota shrugged."It doesn't fit on my tongue.."

“Get back to work, love…” Cavendish said and the way he said it was in the same manner of how he’d usually talk to Dakota when he was being particularly irritating. So, he hadn’t noticed anything out of the ordinary (and certainly not that he’d used a term of endearment.) 

Oh, but Dakota had! His eyes were wide and then a grin almost too big for his face appeared. “You did it!!” Dakota shouted, running up to him.

“Did what?”

“What did you just say?”

“Get...back to work…?”

“What did you say after?” Dakota bit his lower lip, giddy.

“Nothing?” He didn't remember, and then he did remember and he wanted to disappear.

“You called me a pet naaaame. You did it. I heard you.”

“I-I’m collecting trash over there!” Cavendish pointed in the opposite direction. He tried to look angry but he honestly just looked flustered as he stomped away.

“You looooove meee!” Dakota called out. He laughed to himself. So, Cavendish was still a little high strung and a bit unused to all this. That was okay. Dakota found it adorable, because that was just Cavendish. He was so dumb and he loved him so much. He would be happy if he could just stay by his side like this for the rest of his days. Well, maybe not collecting garbage...but in general. 

With a smile, he put his headphones back on and got to work before Cavendish lectured him about it again.

When he looked away, Cavendish subtly looked over. He watched Dakota groove to his music as he picked up all the local trash. His expression softened and pledged to make up for his behavior later. He was absolutely dreadful at convincing himself this was all okay now. He didn’t have to be so on guard around him now.. He counted himself lucky that Dakota was so patient. They’d learn together.

Though, he wasn’t certain he’d ever react well to Dakota being a little brat...

\--

They finished up for the day, which had been mostly uneventful. They changed out of their jumpsuits and prepared to return back home after getting something to eat. Cavendish gave their report to P.I.G, keeping it short and sweet and then pocketed his phone. He had a bit of dissatisfaction where work fulfillment was concerned but he didn’t focus too much on it today. 

He turned his attention to him and thought back to their date. Subtly, he reached for his hand. Dakota knew what he was doing, so he opened his palm almost instinctively without taking his eyes off the road. He found it cute. “Why are you so shy? We have done a _lot_ more than this.” He grinned. 

“Force of habit…” Cavendish admitted. He knew it made little sense. He knew Dakota more intimately now than he ever had, but his mind was still in that mode. The one that told him this was too good to be true. “...Let’s just say this whole thing is still new.” He readjusted his hat, “I am intrigued to see where it leads us…”

Dakota could understand that. After all, it’d barely been 24 hours since it had become official. Even Dakota had his own disbelief, but out of the two, he was the least likely to overthink things. He smiled at him, “Does this mean you’re going to march back into those therapist’s offices and let them say ‘I told you so’?”

Cavendish’s eyes rolled back, “It looks like I’ll have to…” 

“Even Doofenshmirtz?” Dakota chuckled and watched out of the corner of his eye as Cavendish slapped his free hand over his face in exasperation. He could just see his face now. He was going to get a big kick out of this.

“You know this entire situation could have been avoided if you had just told me how you felt in the first place.” Cavendish lectured lightly.

“Seriously? Have you ever talked to you?” Dakota replied with a half-lidded stare.

Cavendish raised his brows, not arguing with him for once, “Fair point.”

It didn't matter anymore what had or hadn't been done in the past. They had finally reached this point, regardless of how long it took. As hard as it would be, he would march back into those offices and tell them they had been correct. Cavendish would apologize for his stubborn ways. He wasn’t so prideful that he couldn’t admit he was wrong. He’d been so afraid that Dakota hadn’t felt the same, that any possible reveal of his own feelings felt like a threat. He hadn’t wanted him to know. It would have been too embarrassing. So, he twisted it in a way to prove that it wasn’t true altogether. It sounded rather stupid now that he was thinking about it in retrospect. If he had just accepted the therapy in the first place, they would not have had to go through all this…

Still, things hadn’t turned out too bad and in the end, the result was better than expected. They were together now. After all of these years, they were finally together. After everything Dakota had done for him, everything Cavendish himself had put him through, some behavior he wished he could take back, Dakota still wanted him. That was something he could not take for granted. 

Dakota pulled into a parking area, deciding that chinese food would be a good way to end the day. “Alright. It’s your favorite.” Dakota announced with a smile. He unbuckled but Cavendish hadn’t pulled away just yet. Dakota turned to him because apparently he wasn’t finished. “...?”

Cavendish leaned over and placed a hand on his cheek. “I love you, Dakota..” His voice had never sounded kinder or more full of affection. He felt a little silly, saying it out of the blue, but the truth was he wanted to let him know as much as possible. He’d spent far too long locking the words away.

"Cavendish…" Dakota leaned into his hand, almost nuzzling it. He shook his head, lightly laughing. He hadn’t been expecting the confession all of a sudden.

“Sorry, I merely wanted to say it again…”

"You know, for being so new at it, you sure know how to get a guy's heart racing.." He grabbed Cavendish's wrist.

"Yes. Well...I do like to say it." Cavendish admitted. After all that time of not being able to say what he felt, when he did manage to get it out, there was this big sense of relief. It was easier and easier. He found himself wanting to say it all the time. He didn’t want to overdo it, of course. It’s why he seemed a tad shy, as Dakota had put it but... he was allowed to do these things now. it seemed unreal.

"I mean, you can keep going.. I'm not gonna stop you… " Dakota’s eyes were shining.

Cavendish leaned in, "I'll make it a habit, then...now that it’s allowed.." 

Dakota grinned, “It was always allowed…” Dakota closed his eyes and Cavendish followed suit as he pulled him into a kiss. It was slow and sweet and they were mutually getting more than comfortable in making this a habit. Making up for lost time, as it were. He felt like they’d be doing that for a while. Dakota found his other hand and intertwined their fingers. 

"Should we, uh…"

"Get this order to go…?"Dakota asked and Cavendish nodded, albeit bashfully. Dakota smiled, "I'm thinking about it.."

“Sounds like a capital idea, if I do say so…Unless, of course, you had your heart set on it..” Cavendish offered.

They exchanged glances of a mutual agreement.

They got take-out.

\------------------

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That was the end! Hope you enjoyed!!


End file.
